The sales of Windows Vista have been "rapid", and more than 140 million copies have been sold worldwide, claimed the Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates yesterday.

Gates was speaking in Tokyo when he disclosed the figures. Gates said the figure represented "a very rapid sales rate".

Despite the sales figures, the Redmond, Washington based software giant, Microsoft has admitted to struggling with the public's perception of Vista. Windows XP, Vista's 7-year-old predecessor, is still popular among both businesses and consumers.